Intro

The only Yankee pitcher to win the Most Valuable Player Award, Spud Chandler emerged as the teams' ace during the war years of the 1940s. The Georgian got a late start in the big leagues, and didn't win his first game until he was 29 years old, but he managed to log a 109-43 record to post the highest winning percentage in baseball history for pitchers with at least 100 victories. He won the opening and clinching game of the 1943 World Series.

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Best Season

What Chandler did in 1946 (won 20 games and finished second with a 2.10 ERA) is more impressive because it came against a fully stocked major league. But in '43, Chandler was 20-4 and won two games in the World Series, which is hard to overlook. He won the MVP Award and was the toast of New York.

Factoid 1

In Game Five of the 1943 World Series, Spud Chandler pitched a 2-0 shutout to win the title for the Yankees. The ten hits he allowed in the game are the most ever surrendered by one pitcher in a nine-inning post-season shutout. All ten hits were singles.

Transition

April 12, 1948: Released by the New York Yankees.

Strengths

Chandler was an excellent athlete, having starred in both football and baseball at the University of Georgia. He was streaky, but a good hitter, and hit nine homers in his career. He was also a fantastic defensive pitcher.

Weaknesses

No glaring weaknesses. Something kept him from getting to the big leagues before the age of 29, but I'm not sure what it was.

Milestones

Chandler's 20th win of the 1946 season, a 6-0 shutout of the A's on September 29 in the first game of a doubleheader, was also his 100th career victory. His record stood at 100-38.

Feats

Chandler's .717 winning percentage (109-43) is the best of any pitcher with at least 100 victories. Ironically, he led the league in winning percentage just once, in 1943.